Wheeeee!

So, here's the story. My kids are AWESOME, and bring me joy every.single.day. They are both so smart, knowledgable, compassionate, loving...I could go on all day. I am really amazed by who they both are as little people.

They aren't perfect at everything, however, and I have learned that one of the greatest challenges of motherhood, for me anyway, is finding peace in trying to honor and respect what is difficult for them, rather than only relishing what is easy for them.

Today's example: playground equipment designed for kids ages 6 to 12 years.

You might say, "Wait a minute, neither of your kids is even in that age range, so why is this discussion even happening?"

Here's why...kids don't pay one bit of attention to the signs listing the ages required for each set of play equipment. They want to play on whatever they want to play on.

When we go to the park with other little friends, most of the other little kiddos will charge right up the tallest towers and steepest slides without a second thought. My kids, however, are not always so daring. B, especially, was never too interested, as a 3-yr-old, in scaling the tallest ladder to the tallest slide, through a throng of 10-yr-olds, just to slide.

But as a mom, I worried that maybe his lack of trying the things that other kids were trying without a moment of hesitation meant that I over-protected him or that I wasn't raising him with enough self confidence.

Well, this spring, I have learned with delight that, far from being over-protected or lacking confidence, B was just waiting until he was ready.

He has become a monkey on the playground, and a brave one, at that. I am SO glad that I fought my urge to push him on the "big kid" equipment. Now he can enjoy having mastered it himself, and I can laugh at myself from 2 summers ago...now knowing that he was going to "find his bravery" as we call it, just in his own time. In fact, a whole year before he is even old enough, according to the makers of the equipment in question.

Here is the "slide of death", that B would have never even considered trying 2 summers ago.


Pretty tall, right!?? Seriously, I'm not even sure I want to go on this slide. It is SO SO tall.

And here are the series of action shots that Mr B and Miss M insisted I take of them...as they squealed with glee while enjoying the slide.

I will say that it is much easier for Miss M to try things like this, because she has her trusty brother to show her how fun it is first!

M was really wanting me to get a pic of her "pom poms" flying in the air. (her pony tails)

B was much more interested in action shots...the more creative, the better!